26 August 2012

A Social Media Dare

Sometimes we pop on social media for just five minutes as a break from day to day life.  We need a second to recharge and decide to see what our Facebook friends are up to.  More often than not, I think we women leave Facebook (or Twitter or Pinterest or whatever the newest social networking craze may be) feeling worthless.  

Anna's taking her kids to Disney, look at all her fun Instagram photos.  She's the greatest mom ever! (I wish we could afford Disney.  I never have that much fun with my kids.)

Dana fixed an amazing meal of Veal Scallopini for her husband's dinner.  Wow! (I think my husband got crock pot leftover veggie soup... )

Heidi's 6 month old can pull to stand. (Do I need to take Sedryn to the doctor?  Is he that behind?)


Jenna just posted a whole list of things she accomplished today.  Her kids even helped her dust!  (dust... what's that?)

Can you believe all the things that Morgan has completed from her Pinterest boards?  (my toliets aren't clean, we had grilled cheese for dinner, and I'm so tired I just want to go to bed.  I must be a crafty failure).


The truth is: we're comparing our normal or even our worst to someone else's very best.

As I think over my current blog posting "schedule"  (My Home-life Project 52, and Toddler Activity of the Week, or even just about anything from my Year of Action), I realize that even my very personal blog can make others feel like they do not accomplish enough.  It's not my intention.  I'm just trying to celebrate and record our life as it happens and also to challenge myself out of laziness.

Let me tell you some truths.
  • Sometimes I feed Sedryn Chocolate smoothies for dinner.
  • I let Aeralind and Bronwyn scream and fight it out in another room, while I conveniently fold laundry.
  • I haven't cleaned one of my toilets in a month.  Oh, and another one of our toilets has been broken since we moved in almost 4 years ago.  
  • Sometime I just sit in the middle of the room and cry when I have no idea what to do next.
  • I yell at my children.
  • I've left all my kids screaming in a crib because if I didn't, I'm not sure they'd still be here today.
  • I need to apologize to someone more than once a day.
  • My sink is probably full of dirty dishes.
  • I sometimes lack consistency in discipline (sometimes more often than not).
  • I have joint compound on at least 4 walls and 2 walls that are only primed.
  • My quilt corners rarely nest perfectly
  • Aeralind refuses to snuggle or kiss me during this season.
  • Bronwyn climbs all over me until I retreat to the bathroom for a second hoping for some peace (I rarely get it.)
  • Sedryn rarely sleeps past 5:50 am
  • Derek and I fight.  Often. (but not all the time... only by the grace of God, I'm sure!)
  • I often forget when the last time the kids were bathed (the pool counts right?)
  • I get to stores with all kids in tow and alive, then promptly forget why we're there
  • I struggle to make friends
  • I can't manage to check my voice mail in a timely manner
  • I battle a holier-than-thou attitude
  • I try not to have any sweets in the house because if they're here I struggle with self-control
  • I have 6 half-completed projects right now: two of them need to be finished by Friday (um... well I wrote this last week... ha!) or I'll have nothing to wear to a ball.
  • I write almost all my blog posts on Sunday nights and schedule them throughout the week (hence the regular monotony).  If I didn't write it on a Sunday night, I probably wrote it with pen and paper (including most of this one) while spoon feeding a baby and listening to endless chatter from girls who hardly ever eat their veggies or the crust on their sandwiches.

It's not easy for me to tell you the truth.  And it's even less easy to share such truths (though they are far more encouraging!) on social media.

I think I'd like to challenge all of us to a little social media dare.  What if we spent this week trying to encourage our Facebook (or whatever social media outlet you indulge in) friends by sharing our weaknesses?  Not in a complaining way... in a "MY grace is sufficient (even if the Mt. Laundry is being scaled by wild eyed children), for MY power is made perfect in weakness."  Let us humbly admit the messes, gratefully share his everyday graces, and let His power to change wretches like us encourage someone else.

But He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.  For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

5 comments:

Chelsea said...

I like this a lot. :o)

Cuz I'm the mama! said...

Amazing post and so true. You are not alone and now I know im not either. Thank u!!

Claudia said...

I love your blog!

The Guddats said...

This definitely spoke to me. I have a Pinterest account but refuse to use it because I feel so inadequate whenever I see all those projects and meals I will never actually accomplish. It can be so dangerous to compare ourselves to others. I love social media and what a blessing it can be but it takes wisdom to use it wisely.

CW said...

I have to constantly telling myself,"It is OK" throughout the day.
It is OK that I have not mopped my kitchen floors for weeks.
It is OK that they eat yogurt for dinner.
It is OK that I have toys everywhere.
It is OK that I can't get up as early as other mothers.
It is OK that I don't seem to be able to do housekeeping well at all.
It is OK, it is OK, it is OK.
It is not easy not to compare, and feel defeated. And us women like to compare to begin with.
Thank goodness for His grace.